Aug 12 4:00pm. My spouse and I were at the Buffalo rd Walmart. My spouse is not able to walk more than 100 ft due to back, knee and cardiac complications. We asked to use an electric cart and were told that ponlt 3 out of 14 electric carts were available because ''people are just too hard on them''. I find this unacceptable ! Why isn't weekly maintenance scheduled for these carts on a regular basis? As a result of the unavailability of an eceltric cart. I pushed a regular cart and my husband was in a regular wheelchair which I pulled. This just was not a proper solution and was very difficult. Please consider the implications for disabled persons and schedule regular repair for these electric carts

Sadly, this isn't surprising. "Customers" (aka public) are very difficult on things - there are a lot of people with a lack of respect.

14 - I had no idea a store would have so many. Think of all the maintenance that requires. They would almost need a halftime person just for that. If they are going to supply them as a convenience, it makes sense to do a better job of maintaining them.

Posted by Skye on 2011-08-15:

Sadly, Walmart and all the other stores are not obligated to provide them. Should they, of course for those who need the help, but there isn't any law that requires them to.

Trm is correct, if people weren't so hard on things they borrow, this wouldn't be an issue.

Posted by kinthenorthwest on 2011-08-15:

This is not an obligation for Wallmart.
They do it to help customers.
Ck out your amusement parts, they charge for the carts, wheelchairs and etc if you need one.

Posted by madconsumer on 2011-08-15:

although i understand your dilemma, their cart maintenance is done on a monthly basis. i bet you were there right before the scheduled service.

Posted by BEJ on 2011-08-15:

The carts are provided as a service--they are not required to provide them. You may want to think about having your own electric chair--that way you would always know that it was available and n good repair.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-08-15:

I learned a lot about these carts from someone who posts on another site and manages a grocery store. Not only are electric carts expensive, but they are also very costly to repair. People are very inconsiderate, leaving them out in the rain, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if all stores do away with them in the future.

Posted by Nohandle on 2011-08-15:

Costly to maintain? I'll never forget the morning I walked into my neighborhood grocery and the cashiers were still upset. They had witnessed an able bodied man and they thought perhaps his son load up one of those carts in the back of a truck and off they went. It only took a moment and they had glanced out the front windows at just that time. The store only had two, then they were down to one.

Posted by Skye on 2011-08-15:

Those are the people that cause stores not to have more then 1 or 2 on hand. Thank you thieves.

Shame on the person who stole that NH!

Posted by clutzycook on 2011-08-15:

OP, if your husband is in that bad of shape, wouldn't he qualify for an electric cart of his own?

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-08-15:

This certainly is an inconvenience to the customer. For something like this that many disabled persons rely upon I say rent them out for a couple of bucks to help pay for more regularly scheduled maintenance. I dunno if this would work... just throwing an idea out there. This might keep the thieves from taking off with them too.

Posted by At Your Service on 2011-08-15:

I agree with Skye here. They are provided as a courtesy. If it is something that important, the OP should consider investing in one. It concerns me to someone who, although they could have used the chair, becomes so entitled that they complain when one is not provided for them.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-08-15:

Excellent suggestion, John, and it may just deter those that don't really 'need' to use one.

The bottom line is, Walmart may be providing these as a courtesy, but if they're going to provide them, then they need to keep the fleet properly maintained. 3 out 14 not working tells me that isn't happening. If customers are too hard on them, get rid of them.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-08-15:

Even though many people have pointed out that these are provided as a convenience, and I agree, this store should maintain their fleet of fourteen (14) better or get rid of some. It doesn't make economic sense to let 11/14 sit broken down and useless for weeks until the monthly visit of the Jazzy repairman.

Posted by ladymirenna on 2013-01-04:

I believe that when anything is "offered", even as a courtesy, it is either available, or the onus is on the person/organization who originally extended the courtesy to provide even just a symbolic gesture of restitution. This probably falls under the category of "Ethics" or "Integrity". The OP had no way of knowing when she and her husband left their home on that day to shop at Walmart that the electric carts would not be available. Arbitrarily changing what another can reasonably expect and rely upon is unethical.